Living With Regret: Impact on Work

“Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention”  ~ Frank Sinatra, My Way

Do you have regrets?

There was a study earlier this year called Regrets of the Typical American: Findings From a Nationally Representative Sample. Written by Mike Morrison from the University of IL and Neal J. Roese of the Kellog School of Business at Northwestern University, the study examined the affect that regret has on our life.  It’s worth reading because they have some very specific hypotheses on various types of regret such as those we could have taken action on vs. those we could not.  They also looked at whether regret related to education was more impactful than romance related regret.

I wonder what impact the regret we live with, if any, has on our work.  I like to think I’m someone that does not live with regret.  I try my best to make good decisions based on the information at hand at the time.  But, looking back there are always a few “what if” moments.  What if I had attended a different university, selected a different major, lived in a different city, or chose a different employer.  The way I differentiate my thinking is that even if there are moments I wish I could change, I left them go.  By “living” with the regret, it would paralyze me from achieving my full potential in the present.

What about you?  Do you have any regrets and if so, do you believe it has any impact on work?  Share in the comments please.  I’d love to hear if regrets focus more on work, romance, missed opportunities, education, or other areas.